A subsidiary of Reading company Vossloh North America received seven citations for an accident that occurred in the company’s Cleveland manufacturing plant. The Cleveland subsidiary manufactures railroad tracks. The incident, which occurred on Aug. 21, killed a 45-year-old worker who was trying to adjust a set screw on a rolling mill while working in the manufacturing plant.
OSHA investigated the subsidiary’s manufacturing facility after the accident. OSHA found that workers at the plant were exposed to hazardous and dangerous rotating machinery parts. OSHA has proposed fines totaling $49,000 for the serious violations found.
Vossloh North America operates plants in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Tennessee. The worker who was killed had been an employee at the Cleveland facility for 16 years. He left behind a wife and son. The spinning shaft with which he came into contact caused fatal injuries through blunt-force trauma and crushing. The company has more than 250 workers at its various locations.
When a worker is killed due to a workplace accident, their family is left to deal with not only the grief associated with their loss but often with significant financial expenses and losses as well. Both state and federal regulatory agencies have regulations in place governing the safety standards and policies of workplaces. When a company violates those standards, they place their employees’ lives in danger. Employers are also mandated to participate in the state’s workers’ compensation program. The spouse and children of workers who are killed in accidents at work are able to file claims through the workers’ compensation program for losses associated with the death of their loved one. In addition to any associated medical expenses incurred prior to their loved one’s death, the family can recover additional benefits including funeral and burial expenses as well as monthly payments for the lost income of the person who was killed.
Source: EHS Today, “OSHA Cites Railroad-Track Manufacturer After Worker Is Crushed to Death“, Josh Cable, November 12, 2014